Biomaterials startup Adsorbi, based in Gothenburg, Sweden,
has announced the commercial launch of Arbomax, a new
family of high-capacity cellulose-based filter media engineered
for active airflow environments.
The company is also introducing its first product designed for
removing gaseous pollutants in recirculating airflow systems
such as air purifiers and HVAC systems used in households,
commercial buildings and industrial environments.
Developed in close collaboration with some of the
world’s largest air purification and filtration
companies, Arbomax captures gaseous air pollutants
such as aldehydes, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and
organic acids. It is designed to perform effectively in
recirculating airflow systems, combining high
adsorption capacity with pollutant retention to
prevent re-release after capture. At the same time, it
offers an improved sustainability profile compared to
activated carbon. The launch marks Adsorbi’s entry
into a rapidly growing segment of the global air
filtration market.
Founded in 2022 from research at Chalmers University of
Technology in Gothenburg, Adsorbi has built a commercial
track record in passive airflow applications. Its first product
protects artwork in museums and archives from pollutants
causing deterioration and its second removes household
odours from everyday items.
Arbomax brings Adsorbi’s core cellulose chemistry into
entirely new use cases. Where the company’s earlier materials
operate in slow or static airflow, the Arbomax product family is
engineered for active airflow. The first Arbomax product is
designed for air purifiers and HVAC systems in applications
such as chemical production, laboratories, electronics
manufacturing, aviation cabins, households and retail spaces.
Addressing the key technical hurdle to using cellulose in active
airflow filtration involved multiple years of research, surface
chemistry development and iterative testing with major
industry partners prior to commercial launch.
“Active airflow filtration is where cellulose-based materials can
make the biggest impact, replacing fossil-based adsorbents,”
says Hanna Munge, CEO and co-founder at Adsorbi. “Arbomax
helps customers achieve both cost savings and sustainability
objectives.”The dominant material in molecular filtration today
is activated carbon, most often derived from coal or coconut
shells, resulting in a product with an environmental cost that is
increasingly difficult to justify as industrial buyers face
mounting ESG obligations such as the recently revised EU
Ambient Air Quality Directive. Arbomax offers a credible
alternative. Its cellulose raw material is sourced from
sustainably managed Nordic forests and the product is
manufactured in Europe, giving it a supply chain transparency
that coconut-derived carbon – linked to land-use pressure and
deforestation in tropical regions – lacks.
Independent analysis shows that Arbomax achieves a
significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional
activated carbon materials, including both widely used
broad-spectrum carbons and coconut-shell-based alternatives.
For procurement teams seeking materials that satisfy both
performance specifications and sustainability audits, Arbomax
offers a choice that requires no compromise between the two.
The material is produced in Sweden at Adsorbi’s
manufacturing facility and is designed to extend filter lifetime,
reducing maintenance requirements, replacement frequency
and associated system downtime.
“The science behind Arbomax has been rigorously validated,
and it has been exciting to see how far we can take the
technology,” explains Dr Kinga Grenda, CTO and co-founder of
Adsorbi. “Aldehydes, ammonia, SO2 and organic acids are
pollutants present at every level of industry and cause real
harm to human health and the environment. This launch marks
our transformation from passive to active airflow applications,
entering the largest applications of the air filtration industry.”
Adsorbi will showcase Arbomax at Filtech, the world’s leading
international filtration technology conference and exhibition, in
Cologne this June. The company’s existing products are now
sold in 18 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Backed by Metsä Spring, Chalmers Ventures, and Jovitech
Invest, Adsorbi is currently raising its next funding round and
is seeking strategic partners to support global scale-up.